Vancouver based photographer Jonah Samson is fascinated by macabre influences. His series Pleasantville consists of hand-assembled and painted sets of murder scenes and sexual encounters which reflect the artists rather dark sense of humour. Between humour and tragedy they mimick our cultures attraction to sex and violence as entertainment.

It feels like yesterday that we sat down together and brought Freestyle Magazine into life. But believe it or not, our first issue Game on came out 5 years ago, meaning 2014 is officially meant to be our 5th anniversary! Crazy....however, we thought that now is the right time for a little recap. We love flicking through our past issues and share them with you. In the following weeks we will feature bits and pieces of some of what we think are our best articles and most-loved stories from 5 years FSM. Starting today with one of Jason's favourites. Enjoy!

It's Grim Up North. The poetry of John Cooper Clarke

Poems by John Cooper Clarke / Photos by Paul Stuart

John Cooper Clarke is the personification of frestyle. He came to prominence during the late-1970s as part of the punk movement and has since built a career with his tough and gritty poems delivered in his trademark northern accent, while sporting drainpipe trousers, pointy shoes, and a permanent big-bad-hair-day hairstyle.

Joy Division, Elvis Costello, the Fall, the Sex Pistols and the Arctic Monkeys have all said that his poems have been inspirational, and he has opened for many of these groups at gigs and festivals. Although he confesses to not being any good at Frisbee, for us JCC is still the ultimate freestyler.

Like a Night Club in the morning, you're the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected shit-house, you're clean round the bend. You give me the horrors too bad to be true All of my tomorrows are lousy cause of you.

You put the Shat in Shatter Put the Pain in Spain Your germs are splattered about Your face is just a stain.

You're certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag. Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.

You're like a dose of scabies, I've got you under my skin. You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!

People mention murder, the moment you arrive. I'd consider killing you if I thought you were alive. You've got this slippery quality, it makes me think of phlegm, and a dual personality I hate both of them.

Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay. Please, please, please, please, take yourself away. Like a death a birthday party, you ruin all the fun. Like a sucked and spat our smartie, you're no use to anyone. Like the shadow of the guillotine on a dead consumptive's face. Speaking as an outsider, what do you think of the human race

You went to a progressive psychiatrist. He recommended suicide... before scratching your bad name off his list, and pointing the way outside.

You hear laughter breaking through, it makes you want to fart. You're heading for a breakdown, better pull yourself apart.

Your dirty name gets passed about when something goes amiss. Your attitudes are platitudes, just make me wanna piss.

What kind of creature bore you Was is some kind of bat They can't find a good word for you, but I can... TWAT.

Thanks so much for answering my questions, I really appreciate it and you’ve been really helpful. Also thank you for giving me Massimo’s email address, that was really great of you! Your new website looks wonderful! I particularly love on your “about” page when you said “Print is not dead – we need to rethink it!” I think that you’ve done a fantastic job of this at Freestyle and I completely agree. As an aspiring fashion journalist hoping to work in magazines and perhaps create my own, it’s magazines like yours that really capture my imagination and inspire me, unlike so many other contemporary magazines that are so similar to each other. Additionally, I completely agree with you as you say “FSM 4 rightly claims and defends its place on any shelf or coffee table among other books rather than in the easily flick-through magazine pile.” as I have spent hours poring over my much-loved copy of issue one which now lives as a decoration on my dresser along with a small pile of books, unlike my other magazines which live in drawers, cupboards or under my bed. I am a proud owner of Freestyle and will not hesitate to show it off to people so I don’t think it will ever be hidden away!

Once again, thank you so much for helping with my project and answering my questions,

To all the people who braved the rain and storms to come by and see the magazine we would like to say a huge thankyou!FreeStyleMagazine 4 will be available to buy online and in selected stores very soon.

It´s Ozzy´s birthday. We have been together now for 10 years. In that time we have probably been apart for two months in total. He´s lived in three different countries, visited France, Albania, Hungary, Greece, Italy and 10 other countries. He´s been photographed and featured in 4 different fashion magazines and appeared in numerous videos. He´s traveled in planes trains and automobiles as-well as canoes, three wheeler cars and bike trailers.
He has friends of all ages and from all over the world. He´s had three different mams but only one nana. He once caught a cat but never killed it although he did once kill a mouse. He never did get a fox. he plied his trade by snapping at the heals of a big herd of young bulls and on the noses of stubborn cows. He chased bikes, kids, Hoovers and generally anything moving fast and low down. He chased many a frisbee although never became the super star frisbee dog I always wanted although he is the ONLY urban disc dog in the WORLD. He´s probably tried every kind of food in the world and never once had to pay unless of course it was with a roll or back jump.

We´ve walked together through snow rain and on the burning rocks of the high mountains. Along windy beaches and through dark forests. He´s sat close to me as I cried and sat in the corner when I had seizures.

We´ve moved through cities together like shadows or flew through the streets He never judges me but only turns a mirror to me so I can see my own anger and stupidity and pulls me from my self pity.
If you see him and he doesn't know you he will say hello and may even lick your ankle but he will not entertain fools and certainly wont respond to coochy coo.

He´s only a dog you might say but such a noble and determined creature there has never been and all of the people who have met him in the world will testify to this. He is now the King. And if you dont agree then come and see him because he still walks strong and chases foxes. Sit with him for a while and look at his battle scared nose and wise face and I am sure you will agree with me Ozzy is now a king, a king of dogs that walks with man and is still only ten.

Leefest was the best action we saw since the first ever Baltic Sun Prayer Session. A report to follow- we are so busy now with FSM 4 production- but I just wanted to post this great picture and send love to the dream team.

OUR FRENCH FRIENDS ARE COMING. OUR CZ FRIENDS ARE COMING. OUR GERMAN FRIENDS ARE COMING AND ITS TIME FOR SOME SERIOUS DISC ACTION...LETS GO.
CHECK OUT THE LITTLE SHE HANNIBAL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRAWING.